Soltrans modifies some Vallejo bus lines so students won't be tardy

For one Vallejo mother the local bus service has missed its mark -- her son has been late to school in the morning and had to walk home from classes in the afternoon.

Parent Helenmarie "Cookie" Gordon said Soltrans' bus service has been poorly timed, causing hardships for those relying on public transportation, particularly in South Vallejo.

"Our kids have to walk an hour to Vallejo (High School)", she said. "It sends a very bad message to South Vallejo."

Such complaints, and others, have prompted Soltrans to modify a number of runs since classes began last week, with more still to come.

The Vallejo City Unified School District does not offer general bus transportation for middle and high school students, although buses are available for elementary students, district spokeswoman Alana Shackelford said.

And unfortunately, there is no district program to help secondary school students, she added.

Soltrans does not run traditional school bus service, but does maintain special runs used mostly by Vallejo and Benicia students, Soltrans Finance Director Philip Kamhi said. Due to funding restrictions, the agency must allow any rider to board these buses that Soltrans calls "limited service" runs.

To help get Vallejo secondary students to school on time, Soltrans modified some bus runs that youth use to get to Jesse Bethel and Vallejo High schools as well as to other secondary schools.

Soltrans board president Elizabeth Patterson of Benicia said there's no easy answer.

"Some of the solutions are really easy and some are more complicated. Part of the issue is that we're not providing school bus service," said Patterson, who also is Benicia's mayor.

"We can't ignore some of the connections for the routes for the commuters," she added.

But many students rely on Soltrans buses, particularly since school closures last year forced some of them to travel across the city to their new schools.

Meanwhile, facing its own deficit, Soltrans changed many of its routes last year, resulting in widespread changes that went into effect July 1.

To help Vallejo students get to school on time, Kamhi said Routes 6 and 7 were modified Monday, a week after school began.

Further, Route 14 will be changed this week, as well.

More buses were added to Routes 6 and 7 to cut down on the wait and get students to Jesse Bethel on time.

Previously, South Vallejo students taking Route 3 buses had to wait about 15 minutes to transfer to buses taking them across town to school, Kamhi said.

Meanwhile, the start time of the Route 14, which originates in Glen Cove, will be pushed back 10 minutes to 7:08 a.m. so Jesse Bethel students won't be late.

Other parents have complained the Route 1 bus routes cut it too close for Vallejo High School students. But, Kamhi said, they should have enough time.

The morning Route 1 buses drop students off at the closest stop on Nebraska Street at 7:39 a.m., giving them 11 minutes to walk to school and get to their first period by 7:50 a.m., he said.

No other changes are planned for Route 12 and Route 2 buses that take students Solano Middle School and Jesse Bethel.

In Benicia, Kamhi said he's unaware of any complaints with Routes 15 and 17, which include stops near Benicia Middle and Benicia High schools.